The speedo is nudging 220km/h as the engine screams its way to the 7000rpm redline. The road ahead is headed left into a tightening bend that then opens to a medium speed right hand curve.

I need to wipe off plenty of speed and change direction twice in a matter of seconds. In most hot hatches this would be a moment of panic, but not in the new Renault Megane RS275.

The French machine feels rock soild as I drop it down from sixth to fifth gear and tip it into the fast left hander. Then I stab the brakes hard and get more than enough bite to slow me down for the right-hander.

Renault Megane RS275 Limited Edition

The tyres hang onto the road tightly as I start feeding the power on mid-corner, there’s no hint of the front wheels struggling to transmits the RS275’s considerable power to the tarmac.

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And then it rockets on to the next corner.

I’m behind the wheel of the RS275 at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany, a 20km, 73 corner stretch of tarmac that has become the benchmark for performance car testing.

Renault has just reclaimed the record for the fastest front-wheel drive car around this fearsome track with its new RS275 Trophy-R.

But that isn’t the only new limited edition model that Renault Sport has added to the Megane range. In addition to the 50 Trophy-R it will also build approximately 1200 examples of the RS275 Trophy.

Although Renault Sport wouldn’t let media behind the wheel of the Trophy-R at this week’s launch event it was happy to let us loose in the RS275 on the ‘Ring.

Given it is already one of the best hot hatches on the market, it is no surprise the engineers at Renault Sport have not radically overhauled the outgoing RS265 to create this new model.

Instead, they focused on making a relatively small number of changes that add to up a big improvement overall.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the RS265 has been re-tuned to extract another 10kW, bumping peak power to 205kW. Torque, however, remains unchanged at 360Nm, which kicks in at 3000rpm.

Fuel consumption remains the same as well, using a claimed 7.5-litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

But the RS275 is fitted with a new titanium exhaust system from Slovenian specialists Akraprovic. It not only saves weight but has been developed to create a better soundtrack.

The suspension has been upgraded to a new system from racing specialists Ohlins that features adjustable dampers. It’s similar to the Trophy-R’s set-up but uses conventional steel springs instead of the new composite springs.

The tyres are the same Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 used on the Trophy-R, riding on 19-inch alloy wheels. This is the first time Michelin has used this type of tyre on a front-wheel drive car and the company worked with Renault Sport to tailor them especially to the RS275.

Those changes don’t radically alter the character of the RS275, compared to the RS265, but it does elevate the car to a new level of performance.

While the RS265 is one of the sharpest hot hatches on the market, the RS275 feels even sharper, more responsive and agile.

The combination of tauter suspension and grippier tyres make the RS275 an even more engaging car to drive. It responds to your inputs in an instant but also remains a playful car.

With the stability control set to Sport the RS275 was happy to be pushed beyond its limits, and the limits of the tyres, and slide around before the system stepped in to keep you on the road.

But getting to that point takes maximum commitment because that means pushing extremely hard to get the Michelins to stop gripping. They hang on to the road with such incredible tenacity it inspires confidence to keep you pushing even harder.

The story is similar with the Ohlins suspension. Although it feels very firm and keeps the RS275 very flat in the corners it still offers up enough compliance it doesn’t unsettle the car when you hit a big bump. Or in the case of our Nurburgring laps, when you launch the RS275 over one of the track’s high kerbs it lands firmly but settles quickly, allowing you to push on with more confidence.

Unlike the Trophy-R that gets slightly larger (350mm up front) and lighter steel and aluminium, the RS275 makes do with the same stopping hardware as the RS265. That means four-piston Brembo up front biting into 340mm ventilated steel discs.

Fortunately they are good brakes that bite hard and we didn’t experience any fade during our time on the ‘Ring, despite repeated heavy stops.

Styling changes have also been small in number but greater in the overall scheme. While the Trophy-R loses its rear seats and adds racing bucket front seats, the RS275 makes do with the same Recaro sports seats as the RS265.

While the thinly-padded seats can get a bit uncomfortable after a long-stint behind the wheel, they do keep you in place when you’re pushing the car to the limit thanks to excellent lateral support.

The other major interior change is the Alcantara trimmed steering wheel. The suede-like trim is also used to trim the gearshift and handbrake to make the cabin feel even sportier.

Externally the updated Megane front-end gets a Platine Grey Formula One-style “front blade” and Renault Sport graphics on the side of the car in the same colour. The alloys wheels are finished in shiny black to further differentiate the RS275.

They are subtle changes but are enough to make the RS275 stand apart from its lesser sibling, the RS265.

In overseas markets the Ohlins dampers, Michelin tyres and 19-inch Speedline alloys will be optional but Renault Australia has indicated it will offer the car locally with those items as standard.

That will mean a price of in the mid-$50,000 range, between the existing $51,640 (plus on-road costs) RS265 Trophy + and the Trophy-R that will be priced in the mid-$60,000 region.

Only 1200 RS275 Trophy will be made and Renault Australia as secured 100 of those, and each will be individually numbered.

Based the popularity of Renault’s hot hatches in Australia - we are the third most popular market for the RS models behind France and Japan - it is unlikely Renault will have too much trouble selling its allocation.

Obviously the RS275 impressed on the Nurburgring because it was developed with the track in mind. But it genuinely feels like Renault Sport have managed to improve the already impressive RS265.

But in the face of the new Volkswagen Golf GTI and Subaru WRX it needed to step up. And step up they have, Renault Sport have taken a great car and made it even greater.

8 comments so far

I honestly don't think the " reverse baseball hat brigade" will be cross shopping the RS275 as will the GTI types. More appropriately, they will be considering the Focus RS or Scirocco. Wait for VW to bring out a lightened, spartan, track focused GTI or Scirocco in response.

Commenter

XU1

Location

Adelaide

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:10PM

what?

Commenter

dave

Location

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:50PM

Well that is true, no doubt both companies produce brilliant cars on the road and on the track. However, when was the last time VW offered their track based vehicles for sale on the road????As far as i know, they are only 50 Trophy-R to go on sale here in Australia, and that i know my dealership has already placed an order for them, and it IS coming, not "forecasting" because most forecast never show up.

Let us know when VW actually puts on sale their track based cars.

Commenter

lol

Location

Date and time

June 19, 2014, 8:46AM

LOL A track focused GTI.

A little too stiff for the grandma and soccer mums me thinks.

Commenter

rs2654eva

Location

Date and time

June 19, 2014, 8:48AM

The Golf R400 is coming 99% confirmed model each dealer will be lucky to get two cars. Yes two cars no more limited run.

Commenter

Frosty

Location

Date and time

June 23, 2014, 3:02PM

@ Dave, I know, sometimes members of the 'Panama Hat On The Rear Parcel Shelf Along Side A Box Of Tissues' brigade are hard to understand.

Commenter

Ron

Location

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:30PM

Nice one Ron. Absolutely nothing to do with the article. Somehow your glib attempt at humour got past the keeper.

Commenter

XU1

Location

Adelaide

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:49PM

Amazing XU1.... To think that Ron thought he was being funny....spare me!